


Stranger

by miraculousstorytelling



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Feelings, In the end, Polyamory, Season/Series 02 Spoilers, Unrequited Love, at first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 19:36:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11364213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousstorytelling/pseuds/miraculousstorytelling
Summary: Chloe is no stranger to unrequited love. She's seen it happen often enough to other people. She is, however, a bit of a stranger to rejection and the subsequent feelings of having her heart broken.





	Stranger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astrangetypeofchemistry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrangetypeofchemistry/gifts).



Chloe was no stranger to unrequited love. She’d observed the effects from a distance, watching the people she rejected mourn or rage that she didn’t elect to return their feelings, but she never let herself get close enough to experience it firsthand.

Now she was drowning in it, and it simply wasn’t fair.

“I have to do it.”

“Do what?” Sabrina asked, peeking up from her assignment.

“I’m going to tell them how I feel this summer,” Chloe answered without taking her eyes off the page in front of her.

“Are you sure?”

Chloe shrugged. “My summer’s ruined either way. At least this way, I’ll be mad they turned me down instead of just wallowing.”

 

Chloe was no stranger to rage. She’d perfected the art of holding grudges and punishing people with icy glares and sharp words. In some ways, it was easy for her. She could always count on it to serve as a sort of armor against any other emotion that could harm her.

Except right now, when she could absolutely use it, she wasn’t angry. She couldn’t be.

Because Marinette truly meant it when she responded to Chloe’s confession with a simple, “I’m sorry.”

Chloe had prepared for Marinette to tease her, ready to match it with a dismissive, cutting reply before walking away. Chloe had contingency plans for Marinette reacting with shock or fury, too, ready to fight back if needed. Instead, Marinette’s honest, almost vulnerable apology slipped underneath her defenses and left her breathless.

And when Marinette continued, her voice soft and heavy with guilt, Chloe almost wished it hadn’t. “I had feelings for you once, but I’ve moved on.”

Because hearing it, knowing now that what she’d suspected months ago was actually true, was so much worse. Being angry with Marinette would have been so much easier than knowing that something she’d wanted for so long could have been hers if only she hadn’t hesitated.

“Well...” Chloe mustered up a spark, a flash of irritation that eased the weight of her sinking heart. “Then, I’ll move on, too. I’m sure it can’t be that hard to find someone better.”

Chloe ignored how it hurt to say words that couldn’t possibly be further from the truth and focused instead on how they gave her the strength to turn and walk home. At least she wouldn’t be the only one crying tonight.

So what if the thought of Marinette crying actually made her feel worse?

 

Chloe was no stranger to loss. She’d learned that no matter how much she hated it, people never stayed. It was a lesson she’d learned in childhood the night she fell asleep to the sound of her mother’s voice and woke up to her father tearfully explaining that she would never hear it again.

Really, it shouldn’t have hurt this much. Technically speaking, she hadn’t lost anything at all. Despite the hours she had spent imagining the relationship she could have, the fact was that she never actually had it.

Alya and Marinette were together, and they weren’t interested in anyone else joining in. Even if Marinette had been interested, there was no evidence to suggest Alya would have been or that either of them would even be open to a third party.

Unfortunately, knowing that didn’t wash away the want still burning in her chest. It didn’t ease the bitter taste of unvoiced hopes. It simply left her empty and lonely, wishing for something impossible.

 

Chloe was no stranger to putting on a brave face. She'd crafted just the right mix of disdain and scorn to keep people at a distance when she was hurting. The last thing she needed was someone asking questions.

Thankfully, Ladybug never asked questions, and patrol meant that she could let down the act for just a moment. She could whine and pout about the small things, just enough to make Ladybug chuckle and Fox roll her eyes. The mask offered a short reprieve from the abyss of rejection waiting for her at home. That was Chloe’s problem, not Abeille’s.

When Abeille arrived at patrol, she could hear Ladybug and Fox whispering between themselves, and she had a sinking feeling Abeille was about to get some problems of her own. Part of her didn't want to ask, because honestly she didn't want another thing weighing her down, but this was her team now, and she couldn't pretend that Ladybug's brows weren't drawn together in concern.

So, Abeille took a breath and stepped closer. "Is something wrong?"

Ladybug startled and looked up at her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you land."

Abeille smirked. "Sounds like that stealth training's paying off, then."

Fox stood and stretched. "Nothing's wrong. We're just talking."

"Really?" Abeille looked between the two of them. "Because you look like you're upset."

"It's nothing," Ladybug answered too quickly to be believed. Seeing the sharp look in Abeille's eyes, she sighed. "Okay, it's nothing hero-related. It's personal."

"Oh." Abeille looked down. "Well, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Ladybug shook her head. "We need to patrol anyway."

"She might be able to give us some advice, you know," Fox murmured, folding her arms over her chest. "We need an outside opinion, and you know Chat Noir can't be unbiased about this."

"Yeah, but-" Ladybug began.

"Only if you want." Fox cut her off and glanced over at Abeille. "We know you don't like to get personal, but wanna make an exception?"

Abeille agreed before her sense had time to kick in and tell her it was an awful idea. If she'd listened, perhaps her night would have turned out very differently.

"Ladybug turned down a girl we both like because Ladybug didn't realize we both like her, and now Ladybug wants to tell this girl that we both like her, but she one, thinks the girl is angry with us and two, doesn't know if the girl is even interested in both of us."

"Wait..." Abeille frowned. "You want to see if she'll join your relationship?"

Ladybug nodded.

For a moment, she felt like Chloe again, the sensation of being Abeille and being a hero, being part of a team, and being anything but alone all collapsing around her. How was it fair this mystery girl was getting everything Chloe so desperately wanted? It was too much. Hearing it was too much.

“It sounds like you’re just scared,” Abeille snapped, falling back on old habits to cope with the white hot flare of jealousy that consumed her common sense. “Maybe this girl is better off without you if you can’t even ask a simple question.”

Fox scowled, her voice laced with warning and bordering on a snarl. "Who exactly do you think you are to lecture us on being scared? You’re the only one who hasn’t told us your identity even after we took down Hawkmoth!"

What hurt more, though, was the stunned expression on Ladybug's face that hardened into something altogether cold and unpleasant. Ladybug frowned and tugged out her yo-yo. "Maybe we’re better off without you if you can’t even answer a simple question." She turned away. "We’ll handle patrol without you tonight. Go home."

Abeille watched them go, the weight of Ladybug's dismissal almost too heavy to feel real. She didn't move until the splashes of red and orange along the Paris skyline faded from view, regret and unspoken apologies burning at the back of her throat. They quickly crystallized into something ugly and broken and painful. She flew home, sick with fury at herself and her partners.

 

Chloe was no stranger to being wrong, but she was a stranger to admitting it. She replayed the conversation over and over before finally arriving at the conclusion that she'd made a mistake while also clinging to the thought that Ladybug and Fox had made a bigger one.

It took everything she had to swallow her pride and return to patrol two nights later. When she landed, Ladybug tensed and Fox shot Abeille a cold look.

Thankfully, Chloe had never backed away from a fight in her life, and she stared Fox down with ease. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know you’re brave, and I know that girl would be lucky to have you both. I was angry, and I took it out on you." She scowled. "But you owe me an apology, too. You said you'd respect my choice, and you threw it in my face."

Fox looked away. “You’re right.” She exhaled slowly, the hard lines of her shoulders easing now that Abeille had broken the ice. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair, and I shouldn’t have done it. You have every right to keep your identity secret.”

Ladybug frowned. “And I shouldn’t have said we’d be better off without you. I’m sorry. I lashed out.” She shook her head. “We shouldn’t have asked your advice in the first place.”

“No,” Abeille grimaced. “It was just bad timing. It had nothing to do with you.”

“For the record, we definitely aren’t better off without you,” Ladybug said, offering a delicate smile.

“Yeah.” Fox chuckled. “We missed you last night.”

Abeille managed a small smile of her own. "Well, of course you did. I'm a delight."

The joke melted away any remaining tension, the three of them laughing together while Ladybug roped them into a brief group hug. It felt better than Abeille expected, warmth building in her chest with each second they stayed together.

It was nice to be part of a team again.

"You know..." Abeille murmured into Ladybug's shoulder. "You should talk to her. She might want the same thing, and you'll just regret it if you don't."

Ladybug relaxed and whispered a sincere, "Thanks."

 

Chloe was no stranger to happy endings, but she was a stranger to experiencing them for herself. She’d watched others, she'd even learned how to orchestrate something close for herself, either through intimidation or her father's money. Still, nothing never felt satisfying, and she wondered what it felt like to have that moment without forcing it.

So, when Marinette and Alya visited her, all nerves and subtle shared looks, Chloe never expected them to say they both liked her and wanted to invite her into their relationship. Because life couldn't be that coincidental.

"I'm sorry I turned you down, but I had no idea Alya felt the same about you, and I had no idea she’d want the same thing I did.” Marinette leaned forward. “I was too scared to say anything, because I just never thought it would happen.”

"What made you change your mind?" Chloe asked, soft and afraid to hope.

Alya shrugged. "A friend of ours pointed out we'd regret it if we didn't."

Chloe took a single deep breath, one moment of calm before her mind could burst with the sudden confirmation that she was the person Ladybug and Fox had been discussing. She tried to control the rush of excitement, hoping to explain everything to them in calm, even tones, but instead she blurted out in one breath "Holy crap you're actually Ladybug and Fox."

They froze, trading looks before Alya figured it out. "Abeille?"

Chloe nodded, too thrilled to worry about the consequences of finally telling her teammates who she was. After years of keeping the secret, she was almost relieved to know it had been them all along.

Marinette’s confusion quickly transformed into delight, and before Chloe realized what was happening, they were pulling her into an embrace, blanketing her with warmth on either side.

“This honestly couldn’t have worked out better,” Marinette murmured in one ear while Alya pressed a soft kiss to the opposite cheek.

“I could have done without the fight, but…” Chloe grinned. “You two are definitely worth it.”

“So, that’s a yes on the relationship question?” Alya teased, leaning back enough to meet Chloe’s eyes.

“Well, the two of you combined are just amazing enough to deserve me, so yes,” Chloe answered with the beginnings of a smirk on her lips.

 

Chloe was a stranger to the little things that came with a happy relationship. She’d wondered how it felt to fall asleep to the feeling of someone’s fingers drifting through her hair or how it felt to wake up to a series of texts reminding her how beautiful she was. She’d wondered how it felt to watch her girlfriends’ faces light up when she bought tickets to a concert or how it felt to help each other with makeup and outfits before a nice dinner. She’d wondered how it felt to hold someone’s hand while walking down the street or how it felt to have someone to hold when they watched a scary movie together.

Thankfully, with Alya and Marinette, she didn’t have to wonder anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> I was so excited when I saw I was assigned to you! I really love your writing, and I love the ships you write for. I had so much fun exploring this new ship, and I'm so thrilled I was able to write it for you.


End file.
